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Add another great film to Wes Anderson’s résumé. The Grand Budapest Hotel is wonderful. Not only does it have wonderful story-telling, but it’s filled with a great cast and wondrous visuals.

The narration of the film is Inception-esque: a story, within a story, within a story. The Author (Tom Wilkinson) begins to tell a story where we travel to the past to 1968, where the author’s younger self (Jude Law), the current manager of the hotel, meets the Grand Budapest Hotel’s owner, Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham). From that point on, Mr. Moustafa launches into the tale of how he acquired such an odd establishment. Again, the film travels to the past, to 1932, where we meet Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), the Hotel’s manager, overseeing what was once, a prosperous, and thriving hotel. Along the way, he acquires a new Lobby Boy, Zero (Tony Revolori), and the film proceeds to focus on their relationship and the events that brought them closer together, including Gustave H being accused of murder.

Similar to many of Anderson’s films, the cinematography consists of vivid, contrasting colors and long-tracking shots. It’s an homage to old films and has a vintage feel to it. The visuals are entrancing and adds depth to the storytelling. The whole film is pretty much eye-candy. Furthermore, the film is very comedic. There are certainly many laugh-out-loud moments, mixed with heartbreaking moments. Ralph Fiennes as Gustave H was perfect, as this enigmatic but quirky man. He delivers all the comedic lines perfectly and is certainly the stand out. Though Gustave H’s character is comedic and hysterical, Fiennes adds more, showing vulnerability deep within the character. Ralph Fiennes is definitely not the only stand out. All the actors are brilliant in the roles they play, and there are certain surprise appearances in the film that I won’t go on about. Just watch the film.

This film surprised me. This film was not just about the growing friendship and relationship between a manager and his lobby boy, or the history about the Grand Budapest Hotel, but it also referenced the Nazi Regime and their rise to power, even adding more depth to the film.

The Grand Budapest Hotel was extremely entertaining, mixed with great storytelling, phenomenal cinematography, and fantastic performances. Wes Anderson delivers another wonderful film, and it is a must see.